Lorie Ann Grover, readergirlz diva and author of YA novels On Pointe, Hold Me Tight, and Loose Threads, is here today to share her secrets on how she brings emotion to her verse novels. Lorie Ann is quite the artist in being able to create tears and smiles in her work in verse. She chooses her words carefully and they dance across the page and leap straight into your heart.
Lorie Ann kindly agreed to share a bit about her process…
I bring emotion to verse novels by playing the featured scene through my mind. I watch it over and over, and then I pour the writing out. I seize every sensory facet and then work to keep the word count tight, almost cryptic. Most importantly, I challenge myself not to hold back thoughts or secrets. It’s the willingness to divulge the darkness that makes the content connect to the reader. And that is the challenge.
Want to learn more? I had the opportunity to interview Lorie Ann almost a year-and-a-half ago and have to share one of her answers:
I love the tightness of verse. Emma says my entries are like photographs. I enjoy capturing intense emotion and surrounding it with white space. I have the kind of mind that sees the large picture and breaks it down to the minute.
If verse doesn’t come naturally, write prose first. If you want to experiment, take a paragraph of your prose and then divide it into verse. Look for natural breaks, rhythms, and points you’d like to emphasize. Think of it as shaping a sculpture. There’s no wrong. This is your own heartbeat creating shapes. Then, read the final verse structure aloud. Is anything gained? If so, try more. If not, it was an interesting exercise.
Ready to write?
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